Armagnac: "A Beaker Brim-full of the Warm South"

The balloon glass is the same. The gentle warming in the hand is the same, the rising of the bouquet, the savouring before the first sip. But in Gascony south of the Garonne, in the Tenarèze, Basse Armagnac and Haute Armagnac, the contents of the balloon is different. It is not the Cognac or brandy of further north. For this is the homeland of armagnac, the rich liquor of the Gascons.

My own interest in armagnac arises not just from enjoying the taste, but also from living in the region, in an old armagnac château. In the three Armagnac districts, the gentle sloping hills are covered with the vines which produce the grapes used in making armagnac and the local wines, mingled with acres of sunflowers and maize. The district called Tenarèze is the heart of the Armagnac region, and some claim that it produces the best armagnac of all. Flanking it to west and east are Basse Armagnac and Haute Armagnac. Everywhere throughout the region one finds the châteaux which form the centres of armagnac-producing estates. Some are magnificent buildings with a long history, others little better than farmhouses on which the glory of wine-production has bestowed the accolade of the title "château".

David Henley / CPA

Stuart Munro-Hay, owner of Château D'Auzac.

My own house, the Château d'Auzac, is unusual in that it lies in the centre of a town; the vineyards lay outside the mediaeval walls, in the nearby countryside. Nevertheless, formerly it gave its name to its own armagnac--its elegant facade was evidently too good to miss for a family which already had four other armagnac-producing châteaux and needed a new one for yet another label. Incidentally, although the production of Château d'Auzac armagnac has long since ceased, it is not entirely forgotten. A message relayed only a few months ago through the local Syndicat d'Initiative came from Indonesia, where someone, remembering, wanted to obtain more.

In an old book about the local Armagnac production printed for the former owners, there are illustrations of the former tasting rooms and offices in the château. There were even balloons specially made for the tasting, decorated with a picture of the entrance to the château, with its magnificent Renaissance stone staircase sheltered by a giant arch. Other photographs included views of the chais, the large buildings where the armagnac was stored and matured in its oak casks, together with the distilleries with their giant containers, the bottling plants, the packaging and transport departments. The photos, as well as providing a glimpse of the wine-producing technology of fifty years ago, clearly demonstrate that armagnac production was an important employer in the region then as now.

David Henley / CPA

Fine wines and Armagnac in the Château's kitchen.

In the Gascon countryside, one can readily mark out the chais, the sheds or storage buildings where the armagnac is kept in vast barrels of oak for the ageing process. The armagnac after the distillation process is still clear, and some of it is used in this way. But the majority goes on to another stage. What imparts the colour is the ageing process, as the liquor slowly takes on the rich deep brown of the oak, together with its distinctive flavour. (Several local wines, too, like Madiran from a little further south, are also aged in oaks casks, giving the wine with a strong, rich and heady flavour.) During the ageing process, the buildings in which the great casks are stored undergo a change in appearance. The traditional style roofs of Gascony, covered with red terracotta tiles in the old Roman style, become covered with a black "champignon" which makes the chai very conspicuous. If one were to fly over Gascony in an aeroplane, one could easily distinguish the chais from the other buildings in each château complex. Naturally, if one is on the ground in the neighbourhood of one of these chais, the rich odour of the ageing liquor is very apparent.

There are, of course, a number of different ages of armagnac available, according to choice or to pocket. Most is consumed after eight or twelve years of maturation, but manufacturers also offer twenty-year-old, year-by-year to your choice, hors d'age etc., sometimes in a variety so rich as to be somewhat daunting for a quick selection. Armagnac production today--though still a small industry in comparison to Cognac--is prospering, and the aims are changing (though it is still the drink of hospitality par excellence throughout the ordinary homes of the region). Some producers, such as the Janneau family near Condom, have already spread their wares far afield, offering their armagnacs in specially-designed bottles. These are a far cry from the normal bottle, and would probably not meet with much approval from the ordinary Gascon, but they are part of the launching of armagnac into new markets. Some bottles are eagle-shaped, or in the shape of a horse and rider, some are made of blue porcelain. These strange objects are destined for the Southeast Asian market, where exotic gifts in lavish packaging are well received. Nowadays, the best armagnacs, with their rich and heady bouquet, are beginning to be preferred by some connoisseurs even to cognac.

David Henley / CPA

Well stocked wine racks.

There are also numerous liquors with an armagnac base produced by various châteaux. For example, the Château de Cassaigne, centred at the former country palace of the Bishops of Condom, produces not only armagnacs of every age and quality, but also fruit-based liquors, such as Aramboise, as well as bottled fruits in armagnac, or the famous prunes of Agen preserved in armagnac. Another drink, now growing in popularity as an aperitif even outside Gascony, is Floc de Gascogne. This, red or white, is a combination of wines from the first pressing of the local grapes after the vendage (the gathering of the grapes in late summer), and armagnac.

These fine products of the Armagnac region are already appearing throughout Asia. Lovers of wines and liquours should watch out for them and taste them where possible. They won't be disappointed!

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